Why New Years Resolutions Fail!

As you can imagine, it’s been a crazy, awesome, stressful, and magical few weeks here at the Zoller house considering our 4 beautiful children with 3 of them being under the age of 3.

I have to admit though, I have made many resolutions but at this point in my life, I have major discontent with them!! As you know, stats on New Year’s Resolutions — especially fitness ones — are abysmal. Packed gyms on January 2 are ghost towns on February 2.

As I pondered fitness resolutions and how to explain them to my clients, one phrase kept popping up in my mind:

“Fitness in the context of a real human life…”

Imagine:

* All 3 of your kids are sick (at the same time)…

* Your in-law is in the hospital after a heart attack (and you’re visiting daily)…

* It’s Christmas — or Thanksgiving

* Because of the holidays you are slammed at work because all of your employees are out of town…

* When you’re stressed your lower back acts up…

…and just as you’re about to head out to hit the gym, the daycare calls and says your child is sick and you need to come get them.

THAT is fitness in the context of a real human life. Is it any wonder most fitness resolutions fail?

If you think about it, most health and fitness plans live OUTSIDE the context of a real life:

3 day juice cleanse…

24 day programs…

30 day programs…

diets, diets and more diets!!!

“It’s time to go all-in… it’s the only way to win!” Except that it’s not. Hahaha Believe me, I have done it all myself. All of it. In my experience, this kind of all-or-nothing thinking rarely gets us all. It usually gets us *nothing*. This is just 1 reason fitness resolutions fail but more importantly, fail so soon.

They teach you quick, fast and in a hurry which in my experience, means failure. Sure, we can play make-believe. We can imagine a life where everything is peaceful, calm, and totally in our control all of the time. We can do these extreme fitness and nutrition fads that are completely unrealistic long term, but that’s a sure-fire recipe for fitness failure.

As we always do, we plan on continuing to prioritize our health, build strength and fitness, and maybe even maintain our abs. But we do it flexibly — and honestly — in the context of *our* real human lives.

Our children will be fevered, snotty, and barfy. Our time will be limited.

This year we’ll plan for all that in advance.

With all this said, we will be consistent. We will think of our health everyday. And on those rare days we’re not dealing with emergencies? Maybe we’ll soothe our control-freak souls with the Perfect Workout. Or all-day Clean Eating. Even though neither is actually required.

Every single person I’ve seen achieve health and fitness in the long run accomplishes it by simply showing up every day, not by trying to “get it right” all the time, but we’re committed to doing the best we can, when we can, withwhatever we’ve got. Day in and day out.

I hope you are too.

Because, with 2015 just around the corner, it’s an interesting time to make (or renew) your commitment to health and fitness. Why not do that while considering the context of *your own* unique, interesting, and challenging life?

Please come join our amazing fitness team at LEAN! We offer a variety of programs that continually get people the results they desire in the context of their lives.

Happy New Year,

Fred Zoller

PS: This stuff only took me 20 years, 3 children, and untold stress to figure out. So if you’re still working on it, that’s okay. Normal, even. If you’re here, reading this, it probably means you’re on the right track.